Everyone is not created equal. Before you get mad at me, I am not referring to human worth. I am strictly focusing in on talent. Some people are born with innate talents that others are simply lacking.
When it comes to leadership, the latest research shows 24% of a person’s leadership skills are genetic and 76% are learned. So while some people are born with advantages that might help them become the next Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, or Abraham Lincoln, the key here is everyone has the ability to learn and develop themselves into a leader.
The problem is most people don’t want to do the work even when they have been gifted with some incredible talents. Here are a few of the answers I hear from talented and gifted professionals: “I don’t want the responsibility of other people,” “I am not ready,” or “How much more money am I going to make?”
These answers are at the core why we have a major problem with organizational leadership. Too many professionals think about ‘number one’ when the opportunity to move into a management role comes around or when they’re not performing their best in their current leadership role.
What if I told you there was a hidden benefit to you being a great leader, one that satisfies your desire for it to be about you? Here it is:
Being a great leader is ridiculously self-rewarding
With that said, no great leader starts out thinking about the benefits for themselves. In fact, the opposite is true. All great leaders think about others first, and by doing so, their behaviors and actions are molded into those of a great leader.
If you are the kind of person who needs personal benefit in order to become a great leader, here are a few of my favorites:
Seeing someone else succeed.
It’s like giving Christmas presents. There’s no better feeling than watching the excitement when a loved one opens the perfect present. Same goes for leadership. To see someone you lead or mentor blossom and become the best version they can be is a feeling unmatched.
Making a positive impact.
The difference between a manager and a leader comes down to one word, IMPACT. When you develop as a leader and improve your skills you will make a positive impact on the lives that have been entrusted to you. Some of the best leaders I have had in my life challenged and stretched me to be my best, and I will be forever grateful to them.
Living up to your potential.
Mack Richard said on the Follow My Lead podcast, “Potential should be a cuss word. Show me don’t tell me.” It’s a shame how many talented people don’t live up to their God-given potential. Becoming a great leader is a way to live up to your potential through actions and results.
The next time you think about how important it is for you to develop and improve as a leader, know the biggest benefit will be for those that you lead.
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About the Author John Eades is the CEO of LearnLoft and host of the Follow My Lead Podcast. He is also the author of F.M.L. Standing Out & Being a Leader, and is passionate about the development of modern professionals. You can find him on instagram @johngeades. He has set aside 20 speaking opportunities in 2018 and there are only a few spots remaining, learn more here
